La Muerte de la Flora Navidad
by MelissaRose85
Summary: Sakura. A plant. And the many ways that things can go wrong. Includes plant-napping, punching, and a little arrogance from our favorite brooding ninja. Short one-shot not meant to be serious in any way.


A/N: Very short fic, in the name of the holiday season and friendship. Don't ask what started it, as it happens to be a really long story involving plants, a cactus, a poinsettia, and my boss.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters, and I make no money from it either. Or from this fiction. I'm kinda broke, actually. And wondering how to buy Christmas presents this year.

* * *

"La Muerte de la Flora Navidad"

* * *

"Naruto, what the hell is it?"

Sakura looked at the poor plant in his hands, its strange leaves and flowers unlike anything she had ever seen. And he wanted her to car for this exotic plant? Didn't he know her track record? She was worse than Kakashi when it came to murdering the greenery in her house.

"It's a flower, duh."

"Where did you get the… flower from?"

He sat the poor little thing on her table, feeling of its leaves and almost caressing the little thing.

"Ino. She was selling them really cheap, said it's a common plant for the season in many countries. I thought you'd like one. Me and Hinata got three of them!"

She smiled at him. Of course they did. Hinata could keep the things alive.

It really wasn't so bad. After all, it was a tiny plant. And while it was exotic, it couldn't be anything too bad if Ino was selling them cheap. It most likely just needed some water every now and then. But still…

"Naruto, you I don't do well with plants."

His face fell, and she could feel the pout coming on.

"Aw, Sakura-chan, just try. Ino said they're real easy to take care of, and they only last a few weeks anyway, so there's not enough time for you to kill it anyway!" he said this with such a hopeful face and tone that Sakura wanted to smack him.

"Naruto…"

He turned quickly, literally running for the door, hands sans a plant.

"Get back here!"

"It'll be fine, Sakura-chan! Merry Christmas!"

Yeah, fine her ass. Naruto had dropped that plant off three days ago, and already it was looking pretty bad. She had watered it, fed it a little plant food, even set it in her office near the window so it could brighten the place up and still get some sun. Well, if it needed sun. She wasn't really sure.

The pretty red leaves that had been on the plant a few days ago, though…well, they were a sickly orangish-brown now. And the thing was droopy. She had done everything she could think of, but it was like she just couldn't keep plants alive.

Everyone who came in tried to give some advice, from lemon juice in the dirt to a new pot to one nurse even suggesting she play the plant _music._ As if she would do that.

Tsunade had been in this morning and tried to beg her to give the plant up, let someone else have it, but if she did it would break Naruto's heart. He was so set on her having this damn plant. And Mizuki, one of the psychologists in the hospital that Sakura ate lunch with frequently, had tried to sneak in early this morning and steal it…well, she had called it "rescue and intervention," but it was theft with a pretty name.

It pissed her off.

She could heal life-threatening wounds, men bones, remove poisons, revive someone from death…but she couldn't keep a plant alive. It was sad on a whole other level.

She glared at the plant, and she swore she saw it shrivel a little more in response.

And it was just her. Everyone she knew had plants, and they didn't die. Even Sasuke had a few around his house, and they were green and lush and beautiful. Yet, she had killed a _Kaze_ cactus that Temari once brought her, a fern from Kakashi, and once, Shizune's house plants when she was caring for her apartment while she was out on a mission.

And now, a Poinsettia, whatever that was.

She watched as a leaf fell off the plant, littering the ground like its brothers and sisters had all day. Damn.

She continued to glare at the plant, the usurper in her life and office, and almost missed the snort from the doorway.

"Why don't you let someone take it, Sakura?"

She could hear the amusement in his voice, and it just pushed her temper that much higher.

"Because, Sasuke, it is _my_ plant," she hissed out.

He snorted again, approaching her desk and the poor plant near it. He bent down, fingering the leaves that were still fading to an ugly, brown color that heralded plant doom, before looking up at her.

"What," she said, tightly.

"You're hopeless."

He didn't have time to crack one of his deprecating grins, because her fist was already in his face. She had had enough; he was the last straw. They had tried to kidnap it, take it, have her sign the thing over, and It. Was. Hers. Her plant. Hers.

Sasuke flew a little bit, straight into the wall, and ended up standing there rubbing his cheek like a moron, the arrogant grin now on his face. He knew he had pushed her too far, and he reveled in it.

Her glare could have melted glass at the moment.

The plant shivered in response, curling in a little more, before another leaf dropped to the floor.

* * *

I know nothing about plants, sorry. If I describe the death of a poinsettia wrong, oh well. It was a silly little idea I wanted to get out, and I sympathize with Sakura more anyway. I kill all my plants, too.


End file.
